Got a question about work? Well, we’ve got the podcasts for you.
Here, we’ve compiled three of our go-to podcasts for research and advice about how to thrive in the workplace.
#1. Work Life with Adam Grant
WorkLife is a TED podcast hosted by organizational psychologist Adam Grant, professor and author of Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success and Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World. Grant describes the goal of his research, and of his podcast, as learning how to “make work not suck”—a noble endeavor that we entirely support!
We Liked: The Perils of Following Your Career Passion
In this episode, Grant critically examines the common career advice to “follow your passion” and explores the benefits of a “test-and-learn” strategy for career planning.
One of our biggest takeaways from this episode was the idea that passion is often not, as our cultural narrative often suggests, an innate thing that each of us must discover in ourselves. Rather, Grant shows, passion is something that we build, through engagement and hard work.
Featuring graduation speeches, poker tournaments, and even sea lions, this episode is both a fun listen and full of useful gems of career advice.
#2. Dear HBR
Dear HBR bills itself as “the advice show for workplace dilemmas,” and features topic-based episodes tackling everything from navigating heavy workloads to recovering from setbacks. While some of the content is more geared toward folks who have been in the workplace for a while, a lot of the content is transferable to even entry-level roles or internships.
We Liked: Leaving Comfort Zones
In this episode, the hosts interview professor and SIPA alumnus Andy Molinsky, author of Reach, on strategies for stepping outside your comfort zone to pursue new opportunities.
We appreciated how the episode normalized the feelings of anxiety and impostor syndrome that are often in the mix when you’re trying something new. We also, crucially, came away from it with strategies for boosting confidence, prepping, and (kindly) assessing these experiences afterward. We sense a New Year’s resolution in our futures!
#3. Women at Work
It’s unsurprising that podcasts produced by Harvard Business Review show up twice on this list, because: HBR.
We love this HBR podcast so much that we recommended a few of our favorite episodes around this time last year. Now in its third season, Women at Work creates a warm and welcoming space for conversations about what it’s like to be a woman in the workplace. Whether discussing the intersections of identities or the gender pay gap, this podcast provides timely, well-researched, and expert content that helps us feel better equipped to deal with workplace challenges. What’s not to love?
The podcast also has a great newsletter that links to HBR articles related to the episode topic. Our pro-tip? Use your CU library account to access most HBR content for free.
We Liked: Managing Burnout
This season three opener tackles something we’ve probably all experienced in school or work: burnout. The episode explores the workplace stressors that most often lead to burnout, as well as tactics for managing and mitigating it. Spoiler alert: One of the strategies? Drawing on your community and close relationships at work.
We’d Love Your Recommendations!
Are there any other work or industry-related podcasts that we should have on our radar? Drop us a line through our new contact form!